Corrugated processing unit and method thereof

Abstract

Provided is a unit for manufacturing corrugated board from sheets of paper material, including: corrugation means configured to heat-corrugate a first sheet of paper material to make a corrugated sheet, heating means configured to heat sheets of paper material to provide the heat needed to optimise at least the processing performed by the corrugation means, first gluing means configured for joining, by hot gluing the corrugated sheet to a second sheet of smooth paper material to make a compound corrugated sheet, second gluing means configured for joining, by hot gluing, the compound corrugated sheet to a final sheet to make corrugated board, the first gluing means and the second gluing means are positioned next to the corrugation means, so that the first heating means are able to supply at least a predominant part of the heat needed by the first gluing means and the second gluing means.

1 . A unit for making corrugated board from sheets of paper material, comprising: corrugation means configured to heat-corrugate a first sheet of paper material to make a corrugated sheet, heating means configured to heat said sheets of paper material to provide heat needed to optimise at least the processing performed by said corrugation means; first gluing means configured for joining, by hot gluing, said corrugated sheet to a second sheet of smooth paper material to make a compound corrugated sheet; and second gluing means configured for joining, by hot gluing, said compound corrugated sheet to a final sheet to make corrugated board, wherein said first gluing means and said second gluing means are positioned next to said corrugation means so that said first heating means are able to supply at least a predominant part of the heat needed by said first gluing means and by said second gluing means. 
     
     
         2 . The unit of  claim 1 , wherein said heating means comprises a pre-heating station suitable configured to heat said second sheet of paper material before it reaches the corrugation means. 
     
     
         3 . The unit of  claim 1 , wherein said corrugation means comprises a corrugation calender comprising a first and a second corrugation roller and wherein said heating means comprises a heating device of said corrugation rollers. 
     
     
         4 . The unit of  claim 3 , wherein said rollers are hollow and wherein said heating device heats said corrugation rollers by means of steam fed inside said corrugation rollers. 
     
     
         5 . The unit of  claim 2 , wherein said heating device of said corrugation rollers and said pre-heating station are the only heating means of said sheets in paper material. 
     
     
         6 . The unit of  claim 1 , wherein said second gluing means are at a distance of less than 10m from said first gluing means. 
     
     
         7 . The unit of  claim 1 , wherein said second gluing means comprises second spreading means configured to spread glue on the corrugated side of said compound corrugated sheet and a second gluing calender configured for joining said compound corrugated sheet to said final sheet. 
     
     
         8 . A plant for manufacturing corrugated board comprising at least one of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing corrugated board from sheets of paper material, comprising: heating sheets of paper material to provide the heat needed to optimise at least the processing performed in said corrugation step; hot-corrugating a first sheet of paper material to make a corrugated sheet; first gluing said corrugated sheet to join it to a second sheet of smooth paper material by hot gluing to make a compound corrugated sheet; and second gluing said compound corrugated sheet to join it to a final sheet by hot gluing, to make corrugated board; wherein said heating is configured to supply at least a predominant part of the heat needed for said first gluing and said second gluing. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a first gluing means and a second gluing means are positioned next to corrugation means so that sheets are transferred by said heating means to said second gluing means in less than 5 seconds.